Retford: Residents plea for County Council to listen to their concerns over town car park

The car park in Retford which Notts County Council has earmarked for development but local residenst insist needs to stay

The old Ordsall Hall car park on the site site of the leisure centre and Post-16 centre, is regularly full and used by visitors to the town, local residents and overflow parking from the leisure centre and post-16 centre.

The land is owned by Notts county Council who have been keen to develop it for housing.

A Leeds-based housing firm, Harron Homes, had expressed interest in purchasing the land and building on it.

But the residents say this will bring traffic chaos to the town.

“If the car park goes, there will be nowhere for all these extra cars that regularly use it to go other than streets all around the town and that will make it chaotic, it will be simply too busy to get anywhere,” said Ken Morgan, chairman of the action group.

“We simply want to know what is going on and why everything has gone so quiet.”

“We heard that the building firm were thinking of submitting a new proposal that would allow them to keep the car park in place and obviously, we would prefer that to the be option of choice for the authorities.”

“But I believe they have only shown that briefly to the county council and not submitted any formal plans, which would need to go through Bassetlaw Council first.”

“What we are asking is that the authorities please listen to the residents.”

“It seems the county council want to get a good deal for their land which is fair enough.”

“But our worry is that they are more concerned about that, rather than the consequences for the local residents.”

Jas Hundal, service director for transport, property and environment at the county council, said: “We remain in discussions with all parties with a view to finding a solution to the potential parking issues.”

“Several options are still being explored and costed and these will be reported back to the council’s finance and property committee.”

“Planning permission would be required from Bassetlaw Council for the final proposal.

“The county council has a duty to taxpayers to realise the maximum value from land sales, which raise valuable funds to be re-invested into capital projects, such as the new Worksop bus station, school buildings and roads.”

“If we fail to achieve the maximum value, this inevitably has an impact on our ability to deliver these projects.”